Stitch-breaking and raveling attachment for machines for sewing looped fabrics



Patented July 8,1890,

A. L. TRAVER. STITCH BREAKING AND RAVELING ATTACHMENT POR MACHINES FORSEWING LOOIED FABRICS.

(No Model.)

IVE/#T0117` .Adalbert LEE Travel' 'NVZ/@QM ATTORNEY' UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE.

ADELBERT LEE TRAVER, OF PIIILMONT, NETV YORK.

STITCH-BREAKING AND RAVELING ATTACHMENT FOR MACHINES FOR SEWING LOOPEDFABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,957, dated July 8,1890. Application tiled September 27, 1889. Serial No. 325,272. (Nomodel.)

To LZZ whom 2175 may concern,

Be it known that I, ADELBERT LEE TRAVER, a citizen of the United States,and aresident of Ihilmon t, Columbia county, State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improve ments in Stitch -Breaking and RavelingAttachments for Machines for Sewing Iiooped Fabrics, ot' which thefollowing is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an attachment that may beapplied to machines for sewing looped fabric of the class known asturning-.off machines, that will derive its motion from the main shaftof the sewing mechanism, and by a process of stitchbreaking and ravelinglevel to a uniform height and prepare the edges of the fabric to beunited after they are impaled upon the pin-plate and are being carriedby it to the sewing mechanism. Y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of my invention,together with a portion of the turning-off machine. Fig. 2 is a sectionthrough the line X X, Fig. 1, showing the means for removing the raveledand separated portions of the fabric. Fig. 3 is a section through theline Y Y, Fig. 1, showing the stitch breaking and raveling, mechanism.Fig. et is a section through the line Z Z, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow a. Fig. 5 shows in perspective view the partsdirectly concerned in stitch-breaking and raveling, and Fig. G shows inperspective view the parts directly concerned in the removal of theraveled and separated portions of the fabric.

A machine for sewing looped fabric of the class of turning-off machinesto which my attachment is applicable consists of the two followingelements: first, a` pin-plate 1, Figs. 1 and 2, having on its periphery4pins that carry the edges 2 and 3, Fig. 2, of the fabric to be united;second, a sewing-machine a, of which 5 is its main shaft, and 6 is itssewingneedle.

The main frame 7 of my attachment is secured to any fixed part of theturning-off machine where the operative parts may be brought in theproper posit-ion to act on the fabric carried by the pin-plate.

In- Figs. 1 and-2 the main frame of my attachment is shown connected tothe turningoff machine through the sliding joint 8 and the anglepiece 9.To effect adjustment on this joint, a stud rigid to the frame passesthrough a slot in this angle-piece and is threaded for a clamping-nut. Athumb-nut 10 passes through the angle-piece and taps into the stud,whereby the frame may be drawn upward and its height above thepinplatethereby accurately adjusted. The preparation of the edges of thefabric for sewing involves two distinct operations. The first isillustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. The fabric impaled on the pin-plate, withits edges project ing more or less above the pins, is to be trimmed to auniform height. For this purpose it passes between a wedge-shaped piece13 and a guide 14C. The wedge has two vertical and parallel sides, ahorizontal lower and an inclined upper edge. These edges are blunt orrounded, so as not to cut the fabric immediately on coming in contactwith it, and it is intended that they shall not be of a shape that willco-operate in the manner of a shear with the edges of the opening in theguide on the opposite side of the fabric. The lower edge is horizontal,as is also the direction of motion with which the wedge is pushed intothe fabric, so that this edge may lie close to and parallel with thepins on the pin-plate and serve to hold the fabric down onthe pinsagainst the upward straining action of the inclined edge.

The function of the guide-plate 14, with its slot for the passage of thewedge 13, is to support the fabric while it is being entered by saidwedge. In order to properly afford this support, the slot is madenarrow, so that itwill be closed on the sides by the parallel sides ofthe wedge. By introducingthis construction I am enabled to dispense witha.

second wedge entering from the opposite side of the fabric and itscomplementary actuating mechanism, as illustrated in Patent No. 410,720,dated September 10, 1889, issued to me, and effect the severing of thefabric with fewer parts and in a more satisfactory manner. The action ofthe wedge on entering a loop of the fabric is to enlarge it until itbreaks if both ends of the thread forming the loop are fast in thefabric, and to ravel it if IOO either end has been freed by the breakingof an adjoining loop. By thus avoiding a shearing orcutting action thefabric is raveled apart Wherever possible and no shortpieces of threadproduced that will clog the machine. The second operation performed bymy attachment is for the removal of the raveled and loosened portions ofthe fabric. After having been acted on by the wedge, as described, theedge of the fabric, in being carried by the pin-plate to the sewingmechanism, passes in front of the jaw 16. The jaw is carried forwardtill it grips the loosened edges of the fabric against the smoothsurface of the guide-plate 14 in the positionin Figs. 2 and 6. Then itrises, carrying the fabric with it, draws away from the plate, andreturns to its first position. For the purpose of conveying motion fromthe sewing mechanism to the above elements, universal joints andconnections 17, 18, and 19 communicate motion from the sewing-machineshaft to the cams 2O and 21. These are four-motion cams identical inform, so that one may be considered as a continuation of the cam-surfaceof the other. They operate on bar 23 and a lever 22, mounted so as toslide and rock on the stud 24. The cam-surfaces on the lever 22 form asquare. The cam in its revolution presses successively against thesesurfaces, so as to impart to the lever a motion iirst toward the fabricto the position shown in Fig. 2, neXt upward, then backward, anddownward to the point of starting. Two of the camsurfaces in the bar 22correspond with those on the lever 22 but on account of the yoke for thecam being elongated this bar 23 receives no oscillating motion upwardand downward,- but onlya reciprocating one backward and forward from thecam. A stud 25, fast in the lever 22, plays in a slot 26 in the bar 23,with the upward and downward movement of the former lever. This stud'maybe clamped rigidly in the slot, and the bar thus made fast to the lever,so that the two become as one lever operated upon by one four-motioncam. In practice I construct my attachment on this latter plan, with asingle lever and cam, as there are then less parts, and the verticalmovement imparted to the wedge, though not essential, is notobjectionable. For the purpose of broadening my patent I have, however,shown and described the wedge 13 as separately mounted with the bar 23from the jaw 16, and shown thata simple reciprocating motion issufficient to enable it to perform its function. The wedge 13 isdetachable from the bar 23 for the convenience of renewal. The jaw 16,however, is not rigid with the lever 22, but supported so that it canyield against the spring 27, according to the thickness of the fabricthat may lie between this jaw and the guide-plate 14. I iind in practicethat a second guide 29 on the same side of the fabric as the wedge 13and jaw 1G contributes to the successful operation of the machine byguiding the fabric and preventing the accumulation of loose threads onthe operating parts.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A fabric stitch-breaking and raveling attachmentcombining with the pin-plate of a turning-olf machine a bar having awedgeshaped end consisting of two parallel sides,a lower edge lyingclose to and parallel with the pins on said pin-plate, and an inclinedupper edge of sufcient length and inclination to give to thewedge-shaped part near its rear end sufficient dimension to draw out orbreak the loops of the fabric, a guide-plate lying against andsupporting the opposite side of said fabric from said bar and wedge andhaving a slot opposite said wedge, mechanism whereby said bar may bereciprocated in the direction of the lower edge of its wedge-shaped endthrough said slot in said guideplate,and a frame for supporting andguiding said bar, for supporting said guide-plate and carrying saidmechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A fabric stitch-breaking and raveling attachment combining' with thepin-plate of a turning-olf machine a bar having a wedgeshaped endconsisting of two parallel sides,a lower edge lying close to andparallel with the pins on said pin-plate, and an inclined upper edge, aguide-plate having a slot of such width as to just admit saidwedge-shaped end and lying against and supporting the opposite side ofthe fabric carried by said piuplate from said Wedge-shaped end and withits slot opposite thereto, a four-motion cam for imparting motion tosaid bar by acting upon surfaces thereof at right angles to each other,mechanism for revolving said cam, and a frame for supporting and guidingsaid bar, for supporting said guide-plate and carrying said mechanism,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A fabric stitch-breaking and raveling attachment combining with thepin-plate of a turning-off machine a lever bearing a wedgeshaped endforsevering the fabric and a jaw where it can operate on the fabricbetween said wedge and the sewing mechanism, a guide-plate lying againstand supporting the opposite side of said fabric from said wedge and jaw,a slot in said guide-plate opposite said wedge, a cam acting on thislever to slide it toward the fabric and then rock the end bearing thewedge and jaw upward from the pin-plate, mechanism for revolving saidcam, and a frame for supporting and guiding said lever, for supportingsaid guide-plate and carrying said mechanism, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

ADELBERT LEE TRAVER. lVitnesses:

SAMUEL L. MILLER, D. B. DowNINe.

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